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EASTERN AUSTRALIA

Birdquest's Eastern Australia birding tour is one of a series of Birdquest tours that comprehensively cover this island continent with its huge number of endemic birds. Our Eastern Australia tour offers the most comprehensive coverage of this richest of all Australian regions available, taking in the entire east coast from south of Sydney to Cape York, a pelagic seabird trip and even the Outback interior of Queensland.

Tuesday 16th October - Monday 5th November 2012
(21 days)

Outback Queensland Extension to Saturday 17th November (12 days)

Leaders: Guy Dutson and assistant

Group Size Limit: 10

Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate

We will need some luck to find the rare and somewhat nomadic Regent Honeyeater (Pete Morris)

Australia, the smallest continent or the largest island on earth, depending on how you like to look at it, has been cut off from the rest of the world for more than sixty million years and as a result has evolved a remarkable and unique flora and fauna. The birdlife has followed its own evolutionary path and Australia has more endemic bird species (over 300) than any other country and many bird families which are entirely restricted to it or which do not extend beyond Australasia.

Australia’s immense geographical area means that it is simply impossible to see the great majority of its endemic birds during a single visit of just a few weeks, so it is far more sensible to regard the island continent as a place where one should make two or more visits. Superb, mostly easy, birding combined with good travelling conditions make for an unforgettable experience.

This exciting tour has been specifically designed to concentrate on the many endemic specialties of the eastern region of Australia. Eastern Australia is one of several classic Birdquests that between them cover every corner of Australia and achieve a level of coverage of its specialities that is unequalled.

Our journey begins at Sydney, where we will commence our explorations of the attractive woodlands and heathlands of the New South Wales coast, reaching as far south as the Kiama area. Here we will have a good chance to find Powerful Owl, Superb Lyrebird, Southern Emu-wren, Rockwarbler and the endangered Eastern Bristlebird.

Afterwards we will move inland in order to explore the dry eucalyptus woodlands of the western slopes of the Blue Mountains, famous for Turquoise Parrot, Regent Honeyeater and Plum-headed Finch, and also home to many other species.

From the Sydney region we will head northwards to Swansea, from where we will take a boat out to the edge of the continental shelf in search of pelagic seabirds ranging from huge albatrosses to the uncommon Gould’s Petrel and tiny storm-petrels. We will also explore a fine area in the coastal ranges where the elusive Rufous Scrub-bird, one of only two members of this little-known family, can be seen, and look for other good birds ranging from Greater Sooty Owl to Spotted Quail-thrush.

Next we travel northwards to Brisbane in the southeastern corner of Queensland, from where we will drive up into the coastal mountain range and stay in the very midst of the magnificent subtropical rainforests of Lamington National Park. Here we will be seeking out a wonderful selection of forest birds including the localized Albert’s Lyrebird, the secretive Australian Frogmouth (now better treated as a separate species from Marbled), the gorgeous Noisy Pitta, the amusing Australian Logrunner, splendid Satin and Regent Bowerbirds, and the beautiful Paradise Riflebird. Around Brisbane itself, or further up the coast, White-throated Nightjar, Mangrove Honeyeater and even Black-breasted Button-quail will be on the menu.

Moving northwards once more, we will stop off at Mackay to look for the relatively recently-described Eungella Honeyeater and the strange Platypus.

The greatest highlight of the tour will surely be our time in the rich tropical rainforests and coastal habitats of northern Queensland. At Cairns we will admire the wonderful selection of shorebirds and other waterbirds on the coastal mudflats, as well as look for such species as the huge and impressive Southern Cassowary, the much sought-after Rufous Owl and the restricted-range Varied Honeyeater.

Finally, we shall explore the rainforests and dry eucalypt woodlands of the Jullaten and Mount Carbine regions, situated immediately south of the Cape York Peninsula, where Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Spotted Catbird and Victoria’s Riflebird will compete for our attentions with the secretive Fernwren and enormous birdwing butterflies. Amongst the many other good birds in this area are Australian Bustard, Squatter Pigeon, Lesser Sooty Owl, the gorgeous Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, the aptly-named Lovely Fairy-wren, Atherton Scrubwren, Mountain Thornbill, Macleay’s and Bridled Honeyeaters, Chowchilla, Bower’s Shrike-thrush, Pale-yellow, Grey-headed and White-browed Robins, the elusive Golden Bowerbird and the uncommon and much-sought-after Black-throated Finch.

During the Outback Queensland extension we shall explore some wild, lonely country in the far north and west of Queensland.

Initially we will head north into the remote Cape York Peninsula to look for two highly localized and much sought-after endemics, White-streaked Honeyeater and the beautiful but endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot, as well as Black-backed Butcherbird and Tropical Scrubwren.

After returning to Cairns we fly to Mount Isa in far western Queensland, where we will be hoping to track down Carpentarian and Kalkadoon Grasswrens, and Spotted Bowerbird.

Finally we will travel to the remote, semidesert region around Cunnamulla in southwestern Queensland, home to Bourke’s Parrot, White-browed Treecreeper and the localized Hall’s Babbler and Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush.

Birdquest has operated tours to Australia since 1985.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/motels are of normal Birdquest standard throughout. At Kingfisher Park some rooms have shared bathroom facilities. Road transport will be by minibus or 4x4 vehicles and roads are mostly good, although we will spend some time on unsurfaced roads (especially during the extension).

Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy but there are a few moderate grade walks.

Climate: Most days are warm, hot or very hot, dry and sunny but overcast conditions are not infrequent and there may well be some rain in coastal areas. It is generally rather humid near the coast, while conditions south of Sydney can be cool or even quite cold early in the day.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are good.

Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, we can accept bookings for any part of this itinerary (for example, Sydney to Brisbane, or the Cairns region and Outback Queensland, or just Outback Queensland). Please contact us for further information.

Tour Price: $8160 Sydney/Cairns. Extension: $4500 (ending in Brisbane). Price includes all transportation (including all flights inside Australia), all accommodations, all meals, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: $1199. Extension: $700.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

An aptly named Powerful Owl presides over its headless Common Brushtail Possum prey! (Pete Morris)

The stunning Musk Lorikeet is one of many colourful parrots that we'll encounter on this tour (Pete Morris)

The highly-sought Southern Cassowary will be one of our main targets in the Cairns area (Pat & David Wileman)

View Map Download Detailed Itinerary 502kb

Report From November 2010

Another much-wanted 'Regent' - the amazing Regent Bowerbird (Pat & David Wileman)

A displaying male Victoria's Riflebird (Pat & David Wileman)

Australia is packed full of superb endemics and specailities such as Bush Thick-knee (Pat & David Wileman)

... Wattled Brush-Turkey (Pat & David Wileman)

... the colourful Rainbow Bee-eater (Pat & David Wileman)

... White-headed Pigeon (Pat & David Wileman)

... the colourful Scarlet Honeyeater (Pat & David Wileman)

... the attractive Flame Robin (Pete Morris)

... White-throated Treecreeper (another excellent example of convergent evolution when compared to our treecreepers and nuthatches) (Pete Morris)

... and Crested Shrike-Tit – the form here is sometimes treated as a full species; Southern Shrike-Tit (Pete Morris)

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